The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1887-10-21
NUMBER 80.
GisI- and rirrir Drs,-c-,

The true value 0f dress rs n means.
under favorable conditions, of preserving
health, OF, under UutayOrablc conditions.
OF destroying IT, j. not understood rs IL
ought 20 Zoe; and. though We would not
have II Thought Tor a moment that we
wish tn discourage any one from taking
pains 10 obtain things oi beauty IN the
way Ui articles OF dress for themselves and
their children, We must contend that, M
least, equal care should Dee taken that
those things are Surh as To De con .u'lyC,
not injurious. 20 hcaith-ior health Ike
beauty, Is most assure ily "a JOY forever
From the earliest times the object nf
dress has been twofold-fr-t, To- cover.
secondly. u alorn. Among savage ma
tion- ad0rnmcnt has ever been considered
the more important function. hut ~ani-
tarianS are popUlarly regarded ~ having
no sense AT all ol it- Importance. This
miSapprchgnsion IS probably owing To-
the fact that certain ladic~. calling them
selves the apostles "f rar onal dress, 20
about in riSiuucS SO utterly Ellrn1Is and
L. some peoples taste lmmodost, that
they bring ridiculn uron the principles
that they profess 10 advocate instead If
gaining converts to them. The principles
are perfectly correct hUt thrS. ladies
having ct I Sluattc-ing o' Them tackled
on tn rhnm their own particular ,aa-.
Those who are truly concerned iu thr
welfare ol thciF fellow beings. for the
most part. work unseen and unknown by
the public. Il Is time, however. that the
true sauitarians should come forward T.
clear themselves from the iuuuatiou
which has. is il were, been cast upon
them by the false prophets. Far from
having no idea oi the beautiful, wc have
what time viii prove 70 Dr the highest
and pur.St oi all ideals.
Beauty for us is the perfect adaptation
Of the means u the cud. This definition
viii be louud equally applicable 10 any
thing ami everything In nature or art,
but I'm its application 10 the subject in
hand dress it implies a great deal. The
end ut clothes, 50 lar as We are concerned,
Is I'm warm weather 10 cover people with
uUt Oyerlca'Ingtncm. and I'M cold weather
to keep them sufficiently warm. Hence,
~ clothes To- Ice beautiful must be per
fcctIy adapted 10 this end. We must have
no garments fitting 50 tightly as r. impede
the vital processes. none SO heavy ~ 10
weary the Wcarcr none cut i'm surh away
rs 10 cranp hcr movements and none
dyed with poisonous substances.
This ideal Of beauty in dress Is. We
fear, far from being common attae present
time, and we find much weakness suffer
ing and III health consequent un the neg
lcct Df It's prrrcptS. GrOwiny girls suffer
much first. from insufficient warmth OF
clothing; second, from the weight of
clothes hanging mainly from the waist,
and, third, from the pressure ON the
lungs hcart and other Internal organs,
caused by bands and garments too tightly
made.
Most girls wear short skirts up rill the
ace "i about fifteen. a-l in quite cold
weather az a rule, their legs and feet are
only covered 10y thread n- silk stockings
and cotton Grtwe-, Ia p loose -Elr.S.
The middle part u. the Hatg Is. however,
oyCrLoatul. ir il is covered ny taa tops
OF the pctticoat- and drawers fastening
closely round with bands ay the STAYS,
chcmiSr and sometimes vest. The neck
and arms are, a- a rule, quite rs badly
protected as the legs, fOr they have only
the thickness oi the dress over them, as
the vest and chcmI-n are Cyt low in the
neck au5 short In the sleeves, and high
pettIcoat bodIce~ are mo- ALWAYS worn.
II We compare tltiS dress with that or n
Young man we find that the male has
greatly the advantage in matter OF COM
fort. lie generally wears wooden socks,
drawers and vest with long sleeves and
high neck, and his outer garments clDthe
him completely, and with an even
warmth all over. / do not say that mems
dress is perfect in comfort, but the bal
ancc Is most dediccdly in favor OF male
attire.
As To the weight Of girls clothes II is
quite common to see a Young glrl, who.
~ il l. sometimes said, il outgrowiuE her
strength. and whose spine can scarcely
support her head and shoulders erect,
dragging herself weHrIly about ia a dress
the skirt Of which alone weighs some
pounds. This has possibly been bought
for her with The mistaken idea that the
heavier 4 material is the warmer il must
be. The mistake however, Is a serious
one, ~ heavy materials generally owe
their weight and substantial appearance
to admixture with cotton and iibrous rub
bish some stuils being, a. IL ~ called,
-'Iuadod' in order 10 deceive the public
as to their value All wool materials, if
genuine, are light in proportion 70 their
warmth.
The chief evil. however, OF ordinary
dress results from the way in which it j.
supportcd. pressing upon The waist, hin
dcriug the development OF the internal
organs and crampIng them, thus tending
to produce injuries which may affect the
happiness OF the girl future.
We believe that a large number oi the
eases OF curvature OF the spine met with
IN surgical practice, generally in Urls be
tween th, ages Of twelve and sixteen,
result directly or indirectly from the
weight and improper pressure oI clothes,
a potent agent in causing the dclormlty
! being the wearing OF high-heclcd boots,
/ which throw the body forward. Tight,
| stiff stavs are responsible for a great deal
! of harm. and We are afraid that horrible
! process called tight lacinE begins but too
| frequently earlier than Is generally sus-
| pcctcd.